Let the Adventure Begin!
Electra is the best bicycle I’ve ever had! Technology keeps amazing me. My previous bicycles & trikes have been budget, but I spent a little more for this Electra, and one of the many advantages is quick acceleration. When you have balance issues, a slower take off means more time before 5 MPH and beyond. During that time, loss of balance would cause me to wiggle the handlebars involuntary (should not be done) resulting in wobbles and sometimes crashing. I was considering an e-bike for that one issue, but grateful I discovered this standard Electra at Bicycle Discovery. Electra does make e-bikes, but mine is not one of them.
Another advantage of this bike is the fenders, mounted lights and electric generator in the front hub. Those options cost $100 and worth it! The front wheel looks like it could be housing a hub motor. Instead, it contains a generator for the running lights. The electric wires, rear brake cable and shifting cable all run inside the frame. One electric wire goes in the lower right fork and out the upper fork to the head tube mounted front light, and another comes out the seat stay and into the rear fender the rear light is mounted on. Its slick and hopefully has a simple disconnect option for maintenance that requires front tire removal.
The gears shift smoother than any other bicycle or adult tricycle I’ve had. The forward pedal design allows for a snappy take off, but after first gear going through the gears from 35 to 81 gear inches can be done quickly and smoothly. On my trike, I’ll shift a gear and if it changes in two blocks, that is a good day.
The step-thru frame is awesome!!! They are nice on trikes, but this is the first bicycle I’ve had with one. The trikes self balance so it is a luxury for my hips, but on bicycles, mounting and dismounting was a challenge with step-over frames, and now it is a breeze! And the cruiser style saddle is right there if needed, thanks to forward pedal design. My other bicycles had pedals below the saddle, so the seat would be higher for proper leg extension. After mounting the bike, I’d have to hop on the saddle. Electra calls their forward pedal: ‘Flat Foot Technology’, which allows you to sit low for better control/vision while maintaining proper leg extension. Hence, you sit down rather than hop up.